Tony Arata – Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Member

“We can be broke anywhere, so why not Nashville?” were the fateful words from Tony’s wife Jamyi some 40 years ago.
Once packed up from Thunderbolt, Georgia it didn’t take long for the aspiring singer/songwriter (and UPS worker) to
have a chance run-in with Garth Brooks. Tony explains the quirky inspiration for writing “The Dance,” which is among
his four #1 country chart toppers and Brook’s admitted signature song. Dolly, Reba, Emmylou, Trisha, Patty Loveless and
Lainey Wilson have all recorded his songs. Not bad for a journalism major. AMONG THE TOPICS: WHY YOU CAN’T PICK
AND CHOOSE YOUR MEMORIES, DISCOVERING THERE ARE TWO NINE O’CLOCKS, A 1967 OPEL KADET, AND WHY A
TEENAGE SUMMER GAVE HIM KEYS TO THE KINGDOM.